Interior

4. Installing the Door Sills

Next we will focus on the door sills. On my ’73, it has the sills that include the rubber channels (yeah, most do). These channels have a lip that needs to GO OVER the channel. DO NOT ATTEMPT to bend the rubber around the channel, that would be ludicrous. Go ahead and fit the driver’s side piece in the channel and see how it lays into the pan. I made 1/2 inch slits on each end of the seat rail to ensure proper fitting. No other cuts were required.

3. Installing the Wings and Header

From here on out, every cut counts. It is very hard to recover from mistakes, and even if others do not notice, you know that flaw is there. Take your time, each piece took me about 40 minutes to 1 hour to install.

You will be using the DAP Weldwood contact cement to cement this in. The fumes are very strong, so vent your workspace. I also used a 2 inch brush to apply the glue to both the back of the carpet and the body itself. Each piece requires about 20 minutes to tack. Don’t worry, you will have plenty of time to put down, mold, pull up, put down again (and again and again). Let each piece dry for another 40 minutes, but in the way that I install these, you will not be standing on a freshly glued piece. I used 1 gallon of DAP on this project.

1. Preparation

You’re going to need some space, a sharp pair of scissors, a sharp utility knife, a Sharpie marker and strong contact cement. Make sure the area has proper ventilation, less you want to ride the dragon during the procedure. If not, move the family and neighbors out and use a respirator.

I used DAP Weldwood in the Red can (original formula). I tried the DAP in the Green can while installing the headliner and was less then satisfied with it’s bonding ability. The Red stuff is really thick and tacks in 15-20 minutes, pending your weather. That’s perfect for what we are doing here.